Here at Always There Home Care, we are grateful you are slowing down to read our newsletter full of items that relate to home care, home health care, aging and eldercare, as well as some useful tips for daily living. Please enjoy in the spirit of community and cooperation in which this newsletter was sent.

Our clients who even on their toughest days, take the time to express their appreciation for our surprisingly small gestures on their behalf

The families of our clients, who so quickly can be counted among our friends

Those in our care during the months and weeks that become their last. You will never know the many lessons you leave with us that give us the strength to do our work better each day

The very long married couples among our clients who share with us their wisdom on marriage longevity... "Find something to laugh about together every day... Just love each other and try not to forget it, even on the bad days... Remember he will be your last boyfriend... My wife will always be the prettiest girl in the room...

"Our referral partners who request a "special caregiver" on short notice, and are amazed when we deliver... Then they return the favor. Colleagues like these remind us this is much more than a business.

The amazing caregivers who represent us as the true essence of our company. Their professionalism , kindness, patience, thoughtfulness and genuine respect and affection for their clients is beautiful to observe. Many of you will be spending the holidays with your clients, and we so appreciate the efforts. We are nothing without all of you. ■

Happy Thanksgiving

Featured Article:Alive Inside - Find Your Songs

Meaningful music has a place in our caregiving strategies, and can often become active expression and conduit of our love.

By Pamela R. Kelley - Alzheimer's Reading Room

My mother, Audrey, had a famously tin ear. She'd be the first to tell you that she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. But she liked to sing, nonetheless. So when we began our partnership through the last five years of her life, we made a habit of singing every day.

Four songs. That was it. At any point in the day, if I heard Audrey hum a note in her distracted way, I would catch her eye and hold her glance and ask her,

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the King's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant picked up his load of vegetable, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition. ■

Alan Weiss on Maturing vs Aging

This week's focus point: There is a difference between aging and maturing. To age is to live longer and conform with the sizes and shapes common for that process. People conform to a certain range of physical attributes. Pine trees grow to a certain width and height. All cheetahs are within certain predicted ranges once fully grown. But maturing is about learning and cognitive growth, not merely physical growth. It seems to me that maturity is about using knowledge to gain wisdom, not merely seeking data to create information. Maturity is knowing when not to speak instead of trying to figure out what to say, knowing how to persuade and not demand, being resilient and not resigned. I always liked being called "smart" but I think "wise" is a rarer accolade. And "mature" is just fine, as in "fit for consumption." ■

Burning out?

How the Rush Syndrome Affects Your Job and Your Health

By Joel Garfinkle

"So much to do, so little time."

Sure, it's a cliche, but it's also a pretty accurate description of how many of us operate on a daily basis. We walk fast, talk fast, think fast. We multi-task, answering emails while sitting in a staff meeting, making phone calls while we munch on a sandwich we don't even taste.

Why do we do this? Reasons and excuses abound. Do some of these resonate with you?

My organization is totally focused on results. If I don't produce consistently, I'll be left behind.

It's great for my image. I'm known for how much I accomplish.

My to-do list never ends. But I feel good when I cross off the tasks I've completed.

Many of us of us plan our Saturday mornings in the car around NPR's wonderful talk show Car Talk, on the air for 25 years.

Live programming for the Peabody award-winning program ended in 2012 due to Tom's illness. We are left with an unbearable emptiness at the death of half the Car Talk team, Tom Magliozzi.

The following are typical quotes of Tom's: "life is too short to own a German car" and "it is better to travel in hope than arrive in despair," Mr. Magliozzi was the older of the two siblings known as Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers. With his curly hair and heavy beard, he also was - as the Magliozzis reminded listeners - the taller and handsomer brother.

Regina Gogoe: Once again, we have a rookie being honored in our Kudos column. Regina helped us out on very short notice with a special man and his family who needed her assistance with hospice care. Because of her maturity, experience and very calm and patient manner she was a wonderful support to both the family as well as the patient. Her special blend of caring and competence as well as her ability to anticipate her clients' needs during this time on hospice combined to help the family through a difficult time for all of them. Shortly after finishing that case, she took on a short-term case with a lovely charming lady B. B. who was in need of care since her husband, who usually managed her care was in the hospital, then in rehab. Although B B lived with dementia, she was delightful and thankful for Regina's care She enjoyed their daily trips out shopping and visiting her husband in the hospital then in his rehab facility. Regina now is once again providing her very special care to L M and her daughter as LM transitions to hospice care. It is always an honor to care for clients during their final months on hospice and Regina does this with patience and grace. Her clients and families do not soon forget her.

All caregivers mentioned in this column will receive a gift card and our sincere appreciation! Many many thanks to all of you for once again extending yourselves to ensure that we are of courseAlways There...!! ■

Providers We Love

We are privileged to have received referrals from and be able to coordinate care with many Assisted Living facilities, rehab facilities, and Medicare Home Care and Hospice agencies. Our growth is in large part due to the trust the staff in these organizations have put in our caregivers. We are likewise impressed with them and we are committed to referring to them on a regular basis

Weatherby and Associates, PC, Bloomfield, CT North Haven, New London, and Stamford

Specializing in comprehensive elder care services.

The attorneys at Weatherby & Associates, PC have a unique approach that goes above and beyond what most people expect from a law firm. Their goal is to help their clients live as well as possible, as long as possible, and as much as possible where they want. They establish long-term relationships with their clients and their clients' families so they can maximize their resources and deal with the inevitable changes in their life circumstances.

Always There Home Care provides compassionate, dependable and professional one-on-one care for seniors who need assistance in the comfort of their homes or residential care communities. Services from highly qualified and trained caregivers range from companionship, meal preparation and incidental transportation to personal care, medication management and RN-directed case management. Available 7 days a week, services range from a few hours a day to 24-hour care.

Always There Home Care understands that every situation is unique and creates individualized care plans to help improve a client's quality of life.

Our caregivers

Our caregivers are totally committed, highly qualified and carefully selected individuals who are personally and thoroughly screened, bonded and insured. Most are Certified Nurse Assistants or Home Health Aides. Most importantly our caregivers are dependable and extraordinarily caring of others. In addition to their previous experience, our caregivers receive continuous training that includes dementia, hospice care, home safety, nutrition and other topics related to seniors. These highly qualified and trained caregivers are ready to help you and your loved ones with a variety of daily activities such as:

Personal care / Meal planning and preparation

Transportation to doctor appointments and other errands

Caring companionship / Light housekeeping

Medication reminders / Information and referral services

Our personalized, nurse- supervised services are available 7 days a week and can range from a few hours a day to 24 hour and live in care.

For more information or service needs, call 24 hours a day at: 800.348.0485or visit www.AlwaysThereHomeCare-CT.com.